Statement of the Technical Field
The invention concerns electronic devices. More particularly, the invention concerns electronic devices comprising a multi-purpose component circumscribing an electronic component thereof (e.g., an input device, output device or electrical connector).
Description of the Related Art
Electronic devices having interfaces for facilitating user-software interactions are well known in the art. Such electronic devices include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, MP3 players, personal computers, Personal Digital Assistants (“PDAs”), game pads, digital cameras, Global Positioning System (“GPS”) devices, biometric fingerprint sensor devices, and keyboards. The interfaces may include display screens, keypads, trackballs, joysticks, pointing sticks, buttons, scroll wheels, and Optical Finger Navigation (“OFN”) devices.
An OFN device generally uses a light source to illuminate a navigation surface so that motion can be detected. In this regard, an OFN device typically comprises a Light Guide Film (“LGF”), a light source, and a sensor. The light source directs light into the LGF. The light source may be a Light Emitting Diode (“LED”) or a laser. The LGF includes a finger interface surface to facilitate finger contact with the LGF. A finger's physical contact with the finger interface surface causes light to be reflected off of the finger in a direction towards and/or away from the sensor. The sensor generates images from the light directed thereto. Changes in the images generated by the sensor are interpreted as movement by the finger in contact with the LGF. In response to the detection of finger movement, signals are generated by the sensor including information specifying the finger's movement. Such information includes movement vectors (e.g., relative displacement values along an X axis and a Y axis). The signals are then communicated from the OFN to a microcontroller of an electronic device. At the microcontroller, operations are performed to cause corresponding movements of a navigation indicator to be seen on a display screen or to cause other computer functionality to be controlled in accordance with the finger movement. The navigation indicator often includes a cursor, a highlighter, or an arrow. The other computer functionality may include volume control, audio/video playback control, browser control, and game action control.